Well I am now the proud owner of a 31ft 1987 hunter. I'm sure I will have a lot of dumb questions, but the one has got me stumbed. When trying to flush my head I can not get the pump to work. I know it is something I am over looking-- can anyone make a suggestion. thank you Jerry
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No dumb questions here!
Jerry: 1. Has it ever worked since you have had the boat? 2. Do you know if the vent is clear or not? If you want to see if the vent is clear you can start by putting a nozzle on a hose and placing the nozzle put against the hull. If the vent takes the water you are probably clear. If it does NOT take water then you are plugged. You may also try the airhorn on the vent if water does not do it. You may need to open the deck drain BUT MAKE SURE YOU PUT SOMETHING OVER IT IF YOU ARE BLOWING WATER OR AIR INTO THE TANK (get the picture). Have you tried to pump your holding tank? If the tank is full and the vent line is plugged it is not going to flush. If the vent is clear but the tank is full you will have SOMETHING comming out the vent line. Let us know and we can guide you from there.
Jerry: 1. Has it ever worked since you have had the boat? 2. Do you know if the vent is clear or not? If you want to see if the vent is clear you can start by putting a nozzle on a hose and placing the nozzle put against the hull. If the vent takes the water you are probably clear. If it does NOT take water then you are plugged. You may also try the airhorn on the vent if water does not do it. You may need to open the deck drain BUT MAKE SURE YOU PUT SOMETHING OVER IT IF YOU ARE BLOWING WATER OR AIR INTO THE TANK (get the picture). Have you tried to pump your holding tank? If the tank is full and the vent line is plugged it is not going to flush. If the vent is clear but the tank is full you will have SOMETHING comming out the vent line. Let us know and we can guide you from there.
When you say "can't get it to work,"...
What exactly do you mean--the pump won't move up and down? Flush water doesn't come in? Bowl contents don't go down? It won't do either one? Is the toilet manual or electric? Do you know the brand name? If you can answer those questions, I can tell you what to do to make it work. And btw, Steve...I doubt if he knows whether he has anything that's vented, much less where it is at this point.
What exactly do you mean--the pump won't move up and down? Flush water doesn't come in? Bowl contents don't go down? It won't do either one? Is the toilet manual or electric? Do you know the brand name? If you can answer those questions, I can tell you what to do to make it work. And btw, Steve...I doubt if he knows whether he has anything that's vented, much less where it is at this point.
When I say the pump does not work I mean that I can't pull the knob up to flush the water. I have a valve for dry bowl and wet bowl and in either position the pump handle will not move. I unscwed the drain plug think it would allow the pump to move. also I just got the boat and it was transport to me. I thought maybe a valve may be closed but the owners manual are so vague.
Knob??? WHICH knob?
Jerry, I wonder if you're trying to pump the dry/flush valve knob--which rotates--up and down. And...WHAT drain plug??? Marine toilets don't have drain plugs!
But you do have an owners manual...aha! That means you can tell me the make/model is your toilet. However... Sometimes it's a LOT easier to talk than type, and I think this may be one of those times...this isn't rocket science, but I have to ask questions to answer yours...you'll have more questions...this could go on for a while...the weekend is at hand, and you want to spend it on your boat--hopefully able to flush the toilet. So if you're willing to spring for whatever your long distance carrier will charge you for a 10-15 minute phone call, e-mail me (I'm in the owners directory for all the sites) and I'll give you the number. I'll be more than glad to help you. Meanwhile, you might learn a bit about systems if you do some bedtime reading--the articles in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library (on the right hand side of the forum homepage), and the article in the link I've provided. Together they answer more questions than it ever occurs to most boat owners to ask.
Jerry, I wonder if you're trying to pump the dry/flush valve knob--which rotates--up and down. And...WHAT drain plug??? Marine toilets don't have drain plugs!
But you do have an owners manual...aha! That means you can tell me the make/model is your toilet. However... Sometimes it's a LOT easier to talk than type, and I think this may be one of those times...this isn't rocket science, but I have to ask questions to answer yours...you'll have more questions...this could go on for a while...the weekend is at hand, and you want to spend it on your boat--hopefully able to flush the toilet. So if you're willing to spring for whatever your long distance carrier will charge you for a 10-15 minute phone call, e-mail me (I'm in the owners directory for all the sites) and I'll give you the number. I'll be more than glad to help you. Meanwhile, you might learn a bit about systems if you do some bedtime reading--the articles in the Head Mistress forum Reference Library (on the right hand side of the forum homepage), and the article in the link I've provided. Together they answer more questions than it ever occurs to most boat owners to ask.Is the valve open?
Find the valve lever and try it in both directions. If one of them allows you to pump, then you're done.
Find the valve lever and try it in both directions. If one of them allows you to pump, then you're done.
Contact a female sailor in the marina!
Jerry: Contact a female sailor in your marina. I know on our boat who knows more about basic operations of the head than anyone. It's my wife. She uses it more than anyone. My pump handle will operate regardless of any valves being open. When there is water in the bowl there is a little more resistance. If you have a valve to divert from the tank to direct overboard discharge and the thru hull is closed then you would have the same backpressure as a blocked vent hose. The original plumbing on these boats were set up with a direct overboard discharge. You have to be able to displace the air. Open ALL of the valves below the head sink and try it again. The small one is the raw water intake, the larger one is the black water discharge. There is also a chance that you have some type of problem with the pump itself. If none of these other suggestions that everyone has made work, then try checking the pump mechanism first and then just keep working your way thru the system. Replacement heads start at about $100 but you can spend $1000. You do have a lot of choices in a H'31 because of the confined quarters. Let us know what you find.
Jerry: Contact a female sailor in your marina. I know on our boat who knows more about basic operations of the head than anyone. It's my wife. She uses it more than anyone. My pump handle will operate regardless of any valves being open. When there is water in the bowl there is a little more resistance. If you have a valve to divert from the tank to direct overboard discharge and the thru hull is closed then you would have the same backpressure as a blocked vent hose. The original plumbing on these boats were set up with a direct overboard discharge. You have to be able to displace the air. Open ALL of the valves below the head sink and try it again. The small one is the raw water intake, the larger one is the black water discharge. There is also a chance that you have some type of problem with the pump itself. If none of these other suggestions that everyone has made work, then try checking the pump mechanism first and then just keep working your way thru the system. Replacement heads start at about $100 but you can spend $1000. You do have a lot of choices in a H'31 because of the confined quarters. Let us know what you find.
Well, I spent the weekend on the boat this weekend and after exhausting all of my alternatives I decided to take the head pump apart. What I found is that because it was siting for over a year the cylinder need lubercant. I add lubercant and the pumb works a little better. It still get stuck sometimes, but by pushing down on the knob get it going. Thank for everyones help, and Peggie I read some of your information and it was very helpful. The brand was a sealand by the way....
Glad it's working (kind of)...but--
Your toilet has been obsolete for more than 10 years (if it's a 751, and not a 752, even longer)...no hardware parts have been available for it for at least Although Jabsco makes a "universal" rebuild kit that fits it, I don't recommend spending ANY money on it. 'Cuz as sure as you do something you can't fix will break. If you can't get it to work 100% satisfactorily, it's time to replace it.
Your toilet has been obsolete for more than 10 years (if it's a 751, and not a 752, even longer)...no hardware parts have been available for it for at least Although Jabsco makes a "universal" rebuild kit that fits it, I don't recommend spending ANY money on it. 'Cuz as sure as you do something you can't fix will break. If you can't get it to work 100% satisfactorily, it's time to replace it.
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